Thalapathy Vijay is gearing up for the release of his final film, titled Jana Nayagan. As buzz for the Tamil film strengthens, attention has once again turned to the many box office milestones Tamil cinema has achieved over the years.
Over the years, several Tamil films have earned massive worldwide numbers, mostly due to the star power or storyline. In similar lines, here's a look at the 10 highest-grossing Tamil films of all time, based on their global box office collections.
10 highest-grossing Tamil films of all time (worldwide)
1) 2.0: Directed by S Shankar, the film starred Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson. It remains the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, earning Rs 691 crore worldwide.
2) Jailer: Released in 2023 and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the Rajinikanth-led film, featuring Mohanlal in a supporting role, collected Rs 604.5 crore globally.
3) Leo: Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film featured Thalapathy Vijay along with Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja and Trisha. The film earned Rs 605.9 crore worldwide.
4) Coolie: Another Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial, Coolie featured Rajinikanth in the lead, with Nagarjuna and Shruti Haasan in key roles. The 2025 release earned Rs 518.50 crore globally.
5) Ponniyin Selvan: Part I: Directed by Mani Ratnam, the historical epic starred Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi and Trisha. It collected Rs 488.36 crore worldwide.
6) The Greatest of All Time: Popularly known as GOAT, the 2024 film was directed by Venkat Prabhu and starred Vijay. It grossed Rs 457 crore across global markets.
7) Vikram: Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film starred Kamal Haasan, with Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi in pivotal roles, and a cameo by Suriya. The film earned Rs 414.43 crore worldwide.
8) Ponniyin Selvan: Part II: Mani Ratnam returned to direct the sequel, which featured the same ensemble cast and went on to collect Rs 344.63 crore globally.
9) Amaran: Directed by Arun Matheswaran, the 2024 release starred Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi. It earned Rs 333.67 crore worldwide.
10) Enthiran: Directed by S. Shankar and starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the film collected Rs 291 crore globally and remains a milestone in Tamil cinema’s box office history.
Also read: Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan censor plea hearing adjourned to January 7 by Madras High Court
